Old Ghost Ultra, live.

Eighty five kilometres on the Old Ghost Road

The Old Ghost Ultra follows the Old Ghost Road, a backcountry trail on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.

The 2027 Old Ghost Ultra is on Saturday 20 February. The course runs 85 km from Seddonville to Lyell along the full length of the Old Ghost Road, with about 2,700 m of climbing. Its high point is about 1,340 m, near Heaven's Door, on the Lyell Range. Almost 15 km of the trail is above 1,000 m, and most of the climbing comes in the second half, after the equivalent of a marathon.

Much of the route is remote backcountry, far from roads, so the race is a serious undertaking that calls for mountain experience, good kit and good self care.

The field is limited to 300 participants. The event is organised by the Mokihinui Lyell Backcountry Trust, the trust behind the Old Ghost Road.

Because the course is point to point through backcountry, there is no road access to the trail along the way. Supporters can walk onto the trail from the finish in Lyell to cheer runners in, and a free bus to the start and from the finish is provided for competitors only, so support crews should plan their own travel well ahead of race day.

On Livebib you can follow a participant who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the Old Ghost Ultra.